1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 8 FEBRUARY 1945 ]
On extreme N, Cdn 3d Div opens amphibious attack
over flooded terrain at 1800 and easily clears Zyfflich
and Zandpol. Scheduled air support is curtailed
sharply by weather conditions.
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s V Corps
area, 78th Div renews assault on Schmidt before
dawn: 3d Bn of 310th Inf, passing through 311th
Inf, overcomes determined resistance in E part of
town; 1st Bn relieves pressure on 3d by clearing high
ground SE of Harscheid. 311th Inf’s 3d Bn easily
secures Harscheid while rest of regt clears region
between Schmidt and Urft Lake. 505th Para Inf, 82d
A/B Div, makes contact with 78th Div near Kommerscheidt;
508th Para Inf is placed under operational
control of corps and begins relief of 517th Para
Inf SE of Bergstein. 2d Div relieves 9th Div and
takes control of its sector and RCT 39 in place. 9th
Div ( —RCT 39) starts N to Strauch–Steckenborn
region in order to attack toward Schwammenauel
Dam; 309th Inf and 311th Inf ( —3d Bn) of 78th
Div are attached to 9th Div upon their relief by
505th Para Inf. RCT 424 of 106th Div, attached to
99th Div, relieves 394th Inf in place. XVIII Corps
(A/B) assumes responsibility for VII Corps sector
S of Kreuzau. 1st Div takes over zone of 8th Div
and defends it with RCT 16 and attached 14th
Cav Gp, which revert to it. From Salmchâteau area
of Belgium, 82d A/B Div, less elements fighting
with V Corps, moves to vicinity of Rott (Germany).
In U.S. Third Army’s VIII Corps area, 345th Inf
of 87th Div, in two-pronged attack, seizes Olzheim
and high ground to S and E. 4th Div arouses even
greater resistance as it presses toward Pruem, but
8th Inf takes large part of Gondenbrett and 22d
clears Ober Mehlen; 12th Inf is committed on div
S flank. 90th Div continues to batter main fortifications,
largely pillboxes, of West Wall: 358th Inf,
clearing region generally S of Brandscheid, is unable
to take Hill 519 but makes contact with 359th
Inf near Habscheid; 359th works on pillboxes toward
div rear near Habscheid; possession of Hill 511, SE
of Habscheid, is hotly contested throughout day, but
elements of 357th Inf succeed in retaining it. CCR,
11th Armd Div, remains in position on Hill 568,
since there is still no lateral contact between it and
90th Div. CCB establishes contact with 6th Armd
Div (III Corps) W of the Our. In III Corps area,
CCR of 6th Armd Div expands its N bridgehead
and moves additional elements across river. 44th
Armd Inf Bn completes crossing in morning and secures
two bridge sites near Kalborn; 9th Armd Inf
Bn finishes crossing at S bridgehead near Dahnen,
too late in day to expand bridgehead. Farther S, 2d
Bn of 507th Para Inf, 17th A/B Div, maintains
small bridgehead N of Dasburg but is unable to
enlarge it; patrol of platoon strength from 513th
Para Inf, which had crossed the Our, night 7–8, is
[ 397 ]
forced to withdraw. In XII Corps area, 80th and 5th
Divs slowly expand their bridgeheads and move
additional units into them. 80th Div’s 319th Inf
( — ) improves positions on high ground NE of Wallendorf
and after nightfall moves Co D across river;
most of 3d Bn, 318th Inf, crosses near Dillin-gen and
helps 2d Bn expand bridgehead. 5th Div succeeds in
reinforcing elements of 10th and 11th Regts across
the river with a few boat loads of
personnel; rest of 1st Bn and entire 2d Bn of 417th
Inf cross. Mopping up operations are carried out
within 5th Div bridgehead and some houses in Weiterbach
are cleared of enemy. In XX Corps area, 301st
Inf of 94th Div completes capture of Sinz
and takes several pillboxes to SE; elements of 302d
clear last two pillboxes between Campholz woods
and Tettingen. Elements of 104th Inf, 26th Div,
continue local actions against Fraulautern and occupy
a city block.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, elements of 276th Inf, 70th Div, are
forced from OPLR by enemy fire. In VI Corps area,
enemy continues to stubbornly resist RCT 142 of
36th Div in NW Oberhoffen. RCT 143 moves E
through Bois de Drusenheim and establishes outpost.
CCB, 14th Armd Div, reverts to parent unit
from attachment to 36th Div.
In Fr 1st Army area, U.S. XXI Corps completes
offensive as Fr 2d Armd Div reaches Fessenheim
and finds 1st Armd Div of Fr 1st Corps already
there. Units mop up. In 1st Corps area, 1st Armd
Div, after driving E from Rhine–Rhône Canal to
Fessenheim and clearing that village, moves S along
the Rhine toward Chalampé, capturing Blodelsheim.
To S, meanwhile, other elements of corps clear
Harth forest and reach the Rhine near Hombourg
and Petit Landau. The small enemy bridgehead W
of the Rhine now contains but 4 villages—Rumersheim,
Bantzenheim, Chalampé, and Ottmarsheim.
I TALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth
Army’s IV Corps area, 92d Div, while continuing
fruitless struggle for heights on either side of the
Serchio, giving ground under counterattack in region
E of the river, begins limited attack in coastal
sector with 3d Bn of 366th Inf (organized as TF 1)
on left, 370th Inf in center, and 371st Inf on right.
Advance is slowed by opposition and numerous
mines, but TF 1 crosses Cinquale Canal and turns
inland, 370th Inf gains about a mile, and 371st
advances 800 yards.
BURMA—In NCAC area, 26th Brig of Br 36th
Div establishes bridgehead across the Shweli near
Myitson and holds it against enemy fire.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s XIV Corps area,
while 1st Cav Div forces are clearing E suburbs of
Manila, 37th Div expands and strengthens its
bridgehead S of the Pasig, crossing 1st and 2d Bns